Making Global Sense: Grounded hope for democracy and the earth (inspired by Thomas Paine's Common Sense)

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By TJ Brown

Some books try to diagnose the moment. Making Global Sense tries to rewire how we think inside it. What makes this book stand out is its refusal to separate the fate of democracy from the fate of the planet, or politics from personal responsibility. Judah doesn’t write from a distance. He writes as someone who has lived through confusion, power, disillusionment, and renewal, and is inviting the reader to do the same kind of reckoning.

Reading this book feels bracing and oddly steadying. There is urgency in its ideas, but not panic. Instead, the experience is one of being walked through complexity without being talked down to. Judah blends clarity with vulnerability, which makes the reading feel human rather than ideological. There are times when the book may make you feel challenged, uneasy, or even angry, but there is also a steady stream of hope that keeps it from falling into despair.

At its core, the book explores democracy as an inner practice as much as a political system. Themes of self rule, collective responsibility, ecological awareness, and conscious power run throughout. These ideas are important not just in policy debates or across national borders. They talk about how people find meaning in their lives, how societies tell stories about authority, and how those stories can either keep life going or break it down. The ideas from Thomas Paine feel like they were earned, not borrowed. They have been updated for a world that is deeply connected and deeply strained.

Judah’s writing moves fluidly between analysis and memoir. The structure is like Common Sense, but it also leaves room for personal reflection, which helps to ground abstract ideas. His writing is clear and vivid, especially when he's talking about sudden political, spiritual, or environmental awakenings. Personal stories aren't used as proof; they're used to set the scene and give the story more depth and credibility.

A few parts stick out, especially when Judah says that democracy isn't just voting, but also being aware and making choices every day. These parts feel a little radical. Making Global Sense is a book that makes you think more clearly and responsibly in a broken world. It doesn't give you easy answers, but it does leave you with a lasting impression. It's important because it sees hope not as optimism but as something that can be built by learning and doing things.

About the Author 

Judah Freed

Judah Freed is a seasoned journalist and award-winning author of MAKING GLOBAL SENSE, inspired by Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and the novella satire, A FABLE OF LIBERTY LOST AND FOUND, which together have won six national awards since last year. Judah serves as editor of The Beacon for The Thomas Paine National Historical Association.

Judah Freed also is the editor of END MEDICAL DEBT, a #1 Amazon bestseller in Health after its authors were featured on the PBS NewsHour. Overall, Judah has written or edited 15 books since 1982, earning a dozen national and international awards and nominations.

Judah Ken Freed became a journalist in 1976 at age 25. He worked a decade as a reporter and editor for Denver and Colorado newspapers and magazines. After more schooling, he worked two decades as a correspondent and columnist for the top media trade magazines in the USA and Europe. He pioneered media industry coverage of interactive TV, the internet, and distance learning, writing a book on educational television for Financial Times MT (UK), speaking about "deep media literacy," digital privacy and network democracy at conferences on four continents. 

Judah moved to Kauai in 2010, working a decade for Hawaiian newspapers and magazines. Since his return to Denver in 2020, he serves as the Colorado reporter for a national news service, freelances, helps indie authors with their books, and writes his own books.